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Jersey Auction Funds YSU Scholarships for Veterans

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Youngstown State University football fans can support student veterans and win a customized Penguin jersey by participating in the YSU Military Appreciation Jersey Auction for veteran scholarships.

Each of the top 80 bidders in the online auction, which runs now through Nov. 4, will win a customized, game-worn Penguin jersey, made by Under Armour.

“We have nearly 400 student veterans at YSU. Some have VA benefits, but unfortunately, some do not,” said Martyn Moss, project chairman, a YSU alumnus and an Air Force veteran. “All funds raised through this initiative will help provide scholarships for those underfunded student veterans.”

The YSU Veterans Advisory Council is presenting the event in collaboration with the YSU Athletic Department, the YSU Veterans Resource Center and the YSU Foundation. Stadium GM Super Store in Salem and ECA-IBEW Electricians Union are the event sponsors.

All auction proceeds will be added to the Veterans Resource Center Scholarship fund at the YSU Foundation. YSU alumnus and veteran Carl A. Nunziato established the endowment in 2015 to benefit veterans and family members that desire to earn a college degree at YSU.

Just over half of student veterans and eligible dependents at YSU are fully funded by Department of Defense or Veteran’s Administration benefits, Rick Williams, coordinator of YSU’s Student Veterans Resource Center said in a news release. That leaves 20% with partial funding and 26% with no funding at all.

“Our hope is to grow the scholarship endowment to a level that we could afford to help reduce the financial burden for more of these unfunded veteran and military-connected students,” Williams said.

Bidders who log onto the auction website for the first time will have the opportunity to choose a jersey number and to continue bidding on that jersey until the top bid is reached. Winning bidders will get to choose the name on their jerseys and should be worn Nov. 18 at the Penguin’s Military Appreciation game with Missouri State University.